The Windsor House Tour, delayed for two years by the pandemic, returns in style this year on Saturday, June 18 from 10 AM to 4 PM! Featuring 11 properties throughout Connecticut’s historic first town, this year’s house tour offers something for everyone and is sure to satisfy those seeking a healthy dose of history, creative interior design ideas, and a lot of fun!
In addition to a full array of distinctive houses, this year’s event also includes coffee, beer, books, and games, all on the grounds of Windsor Historical Society to keep participants of all ages inspired and refreshed throughout the day.
Themed “New to old and back again: Windsor’s iconic homes renewed,” the tour will feature a number of adaptively re-used historic structures as well as beautifully refurbished private homes built in the 18th through the 20th centuries. The Windsor House Tour will showcase houses of many architectural styles located in neighborhoods throughout the town, including a very walkable cluster of properties located right around the Society’s museum on historic Palisado Green. Properties on this year’s tour:
- 44 North Meadow Rd. (c.1728)
- 75 Palisado Ave. (1794) – First Church of Windsor
- 96 Palisado Ave. (1758) – Strong-Howard House / Windsor Historical Society
- 101 Palisado Ave. (1753) – Music School at Sound Crossing
- 126 Palisado Ave. (c.1900) – Law Office of Cori-Lynn S. Webber, LLC
- 289 Palisado Ave. (c.1900)
- 84 Pilgrim Dr. (1960)
- 1207 Poquonock Ave (1783)
- 302 Rainbow Rd. (1898)
- 38 Sycamore Rd. (1919)
- 183 Windsor Ave. (c.1860) – Keney Park Sustainability Project
- 1046 Windsor Ave. (1896)
Windsor Historical Society will serve as “house tour central,” providing a convenient location to pick up a house tour program booklet and enjoy a variety of enticing concessions. The morning will feature coffee and pastries from The Bean@226, with Luppoleto Brewing Company opening a beer tasting tent at noon through the end of the day. The House of Books and Games will be on site throughout the day to provide home- and garden-themed books and games for all ages. Participants should plan to start and end their day at Windsor Historical Society to enjoy the full Windsor House Tour experience!
The Windsor House Tour program booklet serves as the house tour ticket, and is available for $35 in advance or $40 on the day of the tour. Program booklets may be purchased online here or at these convenient locations throughout Windsor: The Bean@226, Windsor Federal Savings Bank main office in Windsor Center and branch offices in Wilson and Poquonock, as well as at Windsor Historical Society.
Online purchases are now available for pick up at Windsor Historical Society, as well as on the day of the house tour. You won’t want to miss it!
$35 in advance; $40 day-of-tour tickets.
Volunteers Needed!
Friendly volunteers who enjoy meeting people are being sought to help with a special one-day event drawing hundreds to Windsor. Volunteer hosts are needed at each home to make visitors feel welcome, provide brief interpretation on interior architectural details and keep an eye on the homeowner’s furnishings and collectibles.
“Several volunteer hosts will be on duty in each home at all times, reporting to a head volunteer or liaison for each of the houses,” explains Ed Paquette, house tour chair. “The week before the tour, all volunteers will be invited to their assigned house to receive training and information about the home.”
Volunteers are asked to make a two-hour commitment as well as attend the training session. Shifts are short because many volunteers want the option of taking the tour themselves. We can accommodate groups of friends who want to volunteer together, so please share this request with friends and neighbors.
We offer all volunteers a FREE ticket to the house tour and an invitation to the Homeowner and Volunteer Appreciation After-Party at Windsor Historical Society from 4 to 6 PM on Saturday, June 18, immediately following the house tour. The party will include music, food and drinks – featuring craft brews by Luppoleto Brewing Company, and more.
“Volunteers will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are supporting an active, community spirited museum and preservation organization in Connecticut’s oldest town,” notes Doug Shipman, Executive Director of Windsor Historical Society.
To volunteer, or for more information about the house tour, please contact Ed Paquette at 860-818-8024 or edpaq66@gmail.com. We look forward to working with you!
Image: 289 Palisado Avenue. WHS collections 2017.11.319, photo by Michelle Tom